


Girls' Club

by Seascribe



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Pining, Women in the NHL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 11:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7049239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seascribe/pseuds/Seascribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Jamie never let that stop her," Jordie says proudly.  "She's always been one of the guys."  All her life, Jamie's been pleased whenever Jordie's said that, happy that she's made it work for her.  But the way Sharpy's eyebrows go up now makes her wonder if maybe she's missing something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girls' Club

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Scribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribe/gifts).



> AU in which everything is the same, except there are women in the NHL, and Jamie and Sharpy are two of them. Thanks to everybody on twitter for handholding and filling in some blanks, and, as usual, to Scribe for the idea.

In February, right before the playoff push gets real, Sharpy hosts a dinner for the rookies. She's really diplomatic about it, checks first with Jamie to make sure it's appropriate. Jamie has a team barbeque every year before the season, but during the season she does most of her captaining in the room and sometimes at bars after games. She wonders if this is a subtle dig at her for not doing enough.

"Chill out, Chubbs," Jordie says. "Sharpy's not saying you don't deserve the C. She's just doing what they brought her here from Chicago to do. You know, veteran presence." Jamie's not totally sure that's true, but Jordie's better at people than she is, and anyway she _likes_ Sharpy. It's easier to believe him. 

"We used to do this in Chicago," Johnny O says. "Get them pumped up, nurture their tender young minds with our veteran wisdom, that kind of thing. Good team bonding." She watches Janny and Klinger get suckered into letting Maddie and Sadie play with their hair. "And Sharpy likes to look out for the girls coming up, you know? Make sure they're doing okay." 

Jamie kind of wishes there'd been somebody like Sharpy around when she was coming up. She really could have used the advice. 

She says as much later, when most of the team have cleared out, and it's just the Sharps and her and Jordie. Sharpy's had a few drinks, but her hand is still perfectly steady as she does Jordie's nails a bright cheerful purple that Jamie's kind of jealous of. It goes weirdly well with his beard. Jamie could never pull it off; she's spent way too much effort into being just one of the guys to ruin it with some silly nail polish. 

"Hey, you turned out fine," Sharpy says. "They don't make just anybody captain."

Jamie shrugs. "Yeah, I guess. It just would've been nice to have somebody to tell me what to do." 

"Like you would've listened," Jordie scoffs. Sharpy smacks his arm. 

"Don't be a dick. It's rough, being the only girl in the room," she says. 

"For sure, but Jamie never let that stop her," Jordie says proudly. "She's always been one of the guys." All her life, Jamie's been pleased whenever Jordie's said that, happy that she's made it work for her. But the way Sharpy's eyebrows go up now makes her wonder if maybe she's missing something. Sharpy doesn't say anything, though, just finishes the top coat on Jordie's nails. 

"Don't fuck those up," she orders. "You want yours done, Jamie? Victory green?" 

Jamie shakes her head. "Nah, the guys would give me shit for it." They'll give Jordie shit for his too, but it's not like his position as one of the guys is ever gonna be in any doubt. It occurs to her that they don't give Sharpy shit, and her nails--silver and sparkley today--are always immaculate. Johnny O's too. But that's different. They're beautiful and put together and settled down, basically the opposite of Jamie in every way. 

Sharpy's eyebrow goes up, and Jamie knows that's even more dangerous than both of them, but Abby does some kind of married people telepathy, thank god, and Sharpy doesn't say anything. She shows Jordie how to check that his nails are dry enough that he won't fuck them up, tapping them on his lower lip, and Jamie files it away for next off season as they're heading out. 

"Thanks for looking after the rookies," Jamie says. "This was really good for them. Especially Janny, she's been under a lot of pressure." 

"She's gonna do fine," Sharpy says. "And hey, if you ever need to talk or just need a girls' night or anything, let me know, okay?"

"Yeah," Jamie says. "Yeah, I definitely will. Thanks, Sharpy." She remembers her manners and waves to Abby. "Thanks for letting us invade." 

Abby laughs. "Anytime, Jamie."

*

In the locker room, Jamie tries to spend a little more time with Janny and Klinger and Val, making sure that they're handling the pressure of the end of the season okay, that they're feeling good, that they know they can come to her--or Sharpy or Johnny O or Kari--if they need somebody to talk to or just some space away from the guys. 

She thinks a lot about Sharpy's offer of a girls' night. As great as video game nights with Jordie and Segs are, she can't help but think that there's something Sharpy knows that she doesn't about making hanging with the guys work. Maybe Sharpy could even help her figure out why she can't help getting caught up in Segs' orbit, in the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles and the warmth of his body against hers on the couch, in the room, on the road. But she's not brave enough to ask, even though Sharpy'd said she could.

In the end, Sharpy does it for her. She gets a text after practice one day that just says, _Abby says come to dinner. 6 o'clock_ , and the manicure emoji. Jamie might be brave enough to turn down a dinner invite from Sharpy, but what Abby says, goes.

She shows up at 5.55, with a nice bottle of wine and a couple fancy cupcakes for the girls. Abby welcomes her in with a hug, and the girls try to climb her legs, although Jamie's pretty sure that's just because she brought them sugar. 

"Mama says we're going to do mani-pedis," Maddie announces. "Can I pick the colours for yours?"

"Uh," Jamie says, and Abby laughs. 

"Jamie might not want to paint her nails, sweetie," she says. "Go get Sadie and help set the table, please." 

Sharpy's in the kitchen, plating salmon fillets and asparagus. Her manicure, Jamie notes a little despairingly, is perfect. The wine doesn't really go with the fish, but Abby and Sharpy are too polite to say anything. The food is great, anyway, and it's easy to keep conversation going, with the girls chattering eagerly and Abby always ready to pick up any slack and make it look effortless.

It's really nice, in a different way than being with the team. Jamie doesn't have to worry about keeping her captain face on or performing to the same level of bro as the guys. She can just be silly with Maddie and Sadie and bitch with Abby about how the asshole guy won on Chopped while Sharpy watches in bemusement. 

She'd planned to leave after dinner, but the girls give her big pleading eyes and Abby slyly puts this week's episode of Chopped on the television, and Jamie doesn't have the energy to resist. This is nice too, nice enough that Jamie lets herself get lulled into a false sense of security, and doesn't take the opportunity to escape when Abby puts the girls to bed.

"So," Sharpy says, bringing them both another glass of wine. "Did the guys give you a hard time before you got the C?" 

Jamie shrugs, swishing the wine around in the glass so she doesn't have to look at Sharpy. "Nah, no more than they did any of the other new guys. Kari was there too, so it wasn't a total sausage fest."

"You fit in," Sharpy says. "One of the guys." There's an edge to her voice, not mocking, but it still makes Jamie's face flush hot. 

"Yeah, so? How is that a bad thing?"

Sharpy holds up a placating hand. "Easy, kid. I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. It's not always easy, being one of the guys, eh?"

Jamie shrugs. "Sure it is. Play good hockey, chirp back, kick their ass at video games. Piece of cake." 

Sharpy nods blandly. "Don't ever let them see that there's a real girl under the pads. Definitely don't ever let them see you looking at one of the guys."

"I don't fuck guys," Jamie snaps. 

"Does Seggy know that?" Sharpy asks, and Jamie _growls_. 

"I don't fuck guys, and I don't fuck my teammates," she grits. 

"Hey, it usually works out pretty well," Sharpy says. "Ask Abby about the time we brought Saader home and taught him how to give head with a strap-on." She smiles fondly. 

Jamie's face is going to actually burst into flames if she blushes any harder. "I thought you were both lesbians. And, uhm. Exclusive?" 

Sharpy laughs. "Hardly. So are you telling me that you and Segs don't have a thing?"

"Not if you mean a thing we've talked about," Jamie mumbles. 

"That might be a good place to start," Sharpy says kindly. "If you want to." 

"I don't know," Jamie says, and downs the rest of her wine. 

"That's okay," Sharpy says. She pulls Jamie in for a hug. "I have a feeling he's still gonna be there when you figure it out."

*

Jamie doesn't understand how she can drink Jordie under the table but wakes up hungover from three--four?--glasses of wine. Maybe the fancy stuff the Sharps drink is stronger or something. She flops out of bed and drags herself towards the smell of coffee. 

Jordie laughs at her, but is nice enough to do it quietly, and to give her a cup of coffee. 

"Sharpy showed you a good time, huh?" 

Jamie groans. "She made me talk about my feelings." 

"God, anything but that," Jordie deadpans. "She tell you to talk to Segs about how you're straight for him?"  
"That's not how it works," Jamie whines. 

"Whatever," Jordie says. He plonks a glass of water down in front of her. "Hydrate. And then go shower, Seggy's coming over after lunch to watch tape with you." 

"You're such a fucking asshole," Jamie says, swinging at him. Jordie sidesteps it easily, and ruffles her hair. 

"You love me. Go get your man, Chubbs."

*

Jamie drinks two liters of water and goes to the bathroom four times while she waits for Tyler to turn up. She orders delivery for lunch when she finally thinks she might be able to keep it down, and gets sick of waiting for him and is halfway through her chicken and waffles when she hears the key turn in the lock and the excited thump of the dogs' tails against the doorjamb.

Tyler's wearing pyjama bottoms, one side of his hair flat and the other sticking up in little asymmetrical tufts. There are still pillow creases pressed into his cheek. He waves at her and then yawns so wide she can hear his jaw pop.

 _What a disaster,_ Jamie thinks, but it sounds painfully fond, even in her own head, and before she's even consciously made the decision, she's putting down her fork and walking across the room, planting a hand on Tyler's chest and pushing him back against the door. 

He blinks at her, and Jamie ducks her head to press a quick, closed-mouth kiss to his lips. 

"Hey," she says. "Can we talk?"

Tyler _beams_ , his real squinty-eyed, open mouthed grin. "I'm ready to listen, baby."


End file.
